Hi there -
Here is this week’s “1 principle, 2 strategies, and 3 actionable tactics” for running lean…
1 Universal Principle
"Perfect Ideas Are a Myth. Just Start.”
Every week, I meet aspiring founders who are stuck in idea paralysis. They know startups face dismal odds, so they wait.
They’re waiting for the "perfect idea" or “perfect time” before taking the leap.
But startups today are different.
Spending three months preparing to start puts you three months behind. New ideas are ridden with extreme uncertainty, and no perfect time can fully prepare you to act.
You have to Just Start.
2 Underlying Strategies at Play
I. Search versus execution.
Good founders don't execute ideas; they search for working business models.
This requires a fundamental shift in thinking:
- Be okay with starting anywhere because all startups begin in a fog of uncertainty
- Don't chase perfection but balance speed with learning because more than 66% pivot to succeed
- Recognize that the only way to vet good ideas from bad isn't through fictional planning but by taking a few initial steps
Good ideas need iteration, not execution.
II. Use the Innovator's Gift mental model.
You'll often hear the experts say, "Start with problems," but this advice isn't particularly helpful. Asking, "What problem can I solve?" is too open-ended.
Instead, use what I coined as the Innovator's Gift:
Innovation is fundamentally about causing a switch from some old way to a new way.
Every successful product displaces an existing product, so the best way to uncover a real problem worth solving is by asking:
What's broken with an existing product?
And here’s the gift:
New problems worth solving often come disguised as disappointing outcomes, pet peeves, struggles, or workarounds with existing solutions your customers already use.
3 Actionable Tactics
I. Make a list of existing alternatives your customers actually use.
Your true competition is defined by this list and not by doing a SWOT analysis or some shiny new startup doing something similar to you.
II. Identify what’s broken.
For each existing alternative on your list, ask these key questions:
- Does it deliver on the customer’s desired outcome?
- Is it easy to use? If not, why not?
This is where you’ll find real problems worth solving.
It’s reasonable to start by guessing answers to these questions but I find that the really insightful answers are only unlocked through carefully scripted customer interviews where you unpack causal triggers and customer forces that explain where, how, and why customers struggle.
III. Position your product to cause a switch.
Contrast creates value.
Simply pitching your product may work, but anchoring your solution against a problem customers currently know they have with their existing alternative is how you go from creating an offer to a mafia offer.
Mafia Offer: An offer your customers cannot refuse.
My demand validation playbook breaks down this mafia offer process step-by-step into five sprints. It shows you how to position or reposition your product to cause a switch and establish repeatable sales. You can unlock this playbook by becoming a LEANFoundry member here.
That's all for today. See you next week.
Ash
Author of Running Lean and creator of Lean Canvas
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P.S.
If you don’t yet have an idea, check out this video on how to use the Innovator’s Gift to find the right idea:
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P.P.S.
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1 - Get my Just Start course: If you're new to this framework, you'll learn the key mindsets for building the next generation of products that matter.
2 - Take the 30-day Business Model Design Challenge: If you're an aspiring or early-stage founder looking to launch a new idea in 2025, join my next Business Model Design Challenge, where you'll learn how to design and stress-test your idea without wasting resources.
3 - Join LEANFoundry: Join 21k+ founders who use our tools, courses, and coaching resources to build and launch their products to paying customers. Works like a gym membership. Cancel anytime.
